| “Shelter in Place” is one of
the basic instructions you may receive from public safety officials during a chemical
emergency in your community. Sheltering in place offers you and your family immediate
protection for a short time in your home. If you are told to shelter in place, take your
children and pets indoors immediately. A chemical emergency may occur anywhere
hazardous materials are manufactured, stored or transported. Chemical plants are obvious
sources of potential accidents.
Less obvious are highways, railways and storage containers at places such as swimming
pools (because of chlorine).
No matter where you live you should:
- Learn about any warning sirens where you live and work.
Study your surroundings for fixed and mobile sources of hazardous materials.
Find out which radio, television and cable systems in your
area broadcast emergency information.
Learn CPR and First-aid
For a place to shelter, select a room in your house that has
few or no windows.
Make sure all family members know what to do in a chemical
emergency, whether at home, school, work, or outdoors.
Review your plan periodically and conduct drills.
Prepare a shelter-in-place kit appropriate for the type of emergencies that could occur
near you. The kit should contain:
Pastic
Battery-operated AM/FM radio
Flashlight w/ batteries
Bottled water
Towels
Toys for young children
Candles
Matches
First-aid kit
Essential medications
Telephone in room for emergency calls
You are most likely to hear about
a chemical emergency by radio, television or warning sirens.
When you learn of the emergency:
Immediately take your
family and pets to the room you’ve chosen as a shelter.
Shut off heating, cooling and fans that draw in air from the
outside.
Shut, lock, and cover windows and doors.
Turn on radio or television to a local station that broadcasts
emergency information. Stay tuned until the
“all clear” message is broadcast.
Stay off the phone.
Be prepared to evacuate if ordered to do so by public safety
officials.
When you hear the “all
clear” message over the emergency broadcast system, you should:
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